Hillsboro, Texas

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Hill County, Texas, United States. It is located between Dallas, Fort Worth and Waco, directly on Interstate 35 in North Central Texas. Hillsboro draws trade from throughout the county, and from Interstate 35 travelers between Dallas, Fort Worth, and Waco.

Hillsboro is the gateway to Lake Whitney, Lake Whitney State Park, and nearby Lake Aquilla - all within a 15 minute drive from Hillsboro, Texas.

History

File:Texas - Hillsboro - NARA - 68149437 (cropped).jpg

Hillsboro in 1932

In 1853, the Texas Legislature carved Hill County out of Navarro County. Named for physician and Republic of Texas Secretary of War Dr. George Washington Hill, the new county had only recently attracted Anglo settlement, following the establishment in 1848 of Fort Graham. County commissioners selected Hillsboro, originally spelled Hillsborough, as county seat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They established the town on land donated by Thomas Steiner, John Caruthers and Jonathan Newby, and the community soon had a school and post office, as well as a wood-frame courthouse. Cotton became the mainstay of Hillsboro’s late 19th-century economy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city experienced rapid growth after the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad and other lines came to the town in the early 1880s. In addition to bringing new settlers and giving access to shipping and transportation, railroads provided many new jobs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city continued to grow and incorporated in 1881. The cotton industry produced a building boom between 1890 and 1910, as evidenced by the numerous Queen Anne homes still intact today, as well as the noted 1890 Hill County Courthouse. In 1923, the community established the Hillsboro Junior College, which over the years has become Hill College.

Education

The city of Hillsboro is served by the Hillsboro Independent School District.

Hill College, located in Hillsboro, provides educational programs to enrolled students, the community, local workforce and area businesses and adult learners.

Hillsboro has private Christian academies and home school groups, in addition to the school district and college.

Media

Locally, Hillsboro is served by KHBR Radio - 1560 AM and The Reporter newspaper. Hillsboro is also served by the Waco/Killeen/Temple TV market and the Waco radio market.

Additionally, most radio stations from the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex can be heard in Hillsboro.

Culture

Hillsboro is a rural city located directly on Interstate 35 between Dallas-Fort Worth and Waco.

Hillsboro's location offers residents and business significant advantages, and as the seat of Hill County attracts trade from a 30+ mile radius of county cities, and a significant portion Interstate travelers. With an active and close knit community, Hillsboro's culture includes numerous events and programs continuously through the year for both residents and visitors.

Large annual events in Hillsboro include:

January - Hill County Fair/Livestock Show
February - Fire & Ice Dinner at the Rusted Chandelier
March - Hill College Rodeo
April - Starlight Bar Night in downtown Hillsboro
May - Churrofest Annual Festival with Concerts & Margarita Walk
May to October - The Hillsboro Farmers Market at the Courthouse Square
May, June, Sept, Oct - Free Saturday Night Summer Concert Series, Weekly from 8 to 11 pm
June - The Bond's Alley Art Festival
July - 4th of July Late Bloomers Parade in the Historic Residential District
October - Autumnfest Annual Festival
December - Christmas Under the Stars Parade & Tree Lighting

Geography

Hillsboro is located near the geographic center of Hill County. Interstate 35 passes through the eastern side of the city, with access from Exits 364 through 370. The I-35E/I-35W split is just north of the city limits. Hillsboro is Template:Convert south of Fort Worth, Template:Convert southwest of Dallas, and Template:Convert north of Waco.

Texas State Highway 22 runs through the center of Hillsboro on West Elm Street, South Waco Street, and Corsicana Highway. It leads west Template:Convert to Lake Whitney and east Template:Convert to Corsicana. Texas State Highway 171 passes through Hillsboro with Highway 22, but leads northwest Template:Convert to Cleburne and southeast Template:Convert to Hubbard.

Climate

Template:Weather box

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2020 census

**Hillsboro racial composition**<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
(NH = Non-Hispanic)Template:Efn
Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	3,204	38.97%
Black or African American (NH)	1,109	13.49%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	19	0.23%
Asian (NH)	80	0.97%
Pacific Islander (NH)	6	0.07%
Some Other Race (NH)	21	0.26%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	237	2.88%
Hispanic or Latino	3,545	43.12%
Total	8,221

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,221 people, 2,925 households, and 2,024 families residing in the boundaries of Hillsboro Texas, however the population is thought to be far greater than the census numbers for the city reflect.